Smokers/ExSmokers

[minneman]

For you Smokers,Last Wed.Am I had a real I opener, 6:am sitting right here, cup of coffee, havin a smoke, reading the best fishin info around, I feel kinda clammy/hot. I reach up behind me to open the window. after opening I feel as tho I pulled a muscle in my chest. nothing major, just irratating, 10 min. later its more of a heavy feeling, I go lay down next to the wife to strech it off. NOT!
30 sec. of that I wake her with the Scarriest words to ever come out of my mouth.. "I think you should take me into the hospital, "I think im having a heart attack??"

With pain that feels like an elephant standing on my chest we get to emergency and although relieved to be there, I still am in pain. 2 little sprays of nitro and the pain is gone. the next day im shipped to Fargo for an angiogram, and ultimatly angioplasty and a stent for the blockage they found. lucky for me there was only minor damage to my heart, the blockage was not in a major artery.

Here is the thing, Im male, 42 yrs young, and there is no heart disease in the family, None. my Cholesteral level is 164, Im not over weight, 6'3" 205lbs, and am phisically active. My downfall is that ive Smoked for 26 years! !!Quit Now!!

Ex Smokers, please share with me the ways you found things to do to avoid the urge, I havent smoked since 6am wed. and am doing the patch, so far so good, but today I return to work (selfemployed const) and in this biz smoking is the norm. Yes, they will all get an earfull!!

Thanks for your time! I have a totaly new outlook on life now, and sharing this is part of it, hoping that atleast one of you great people will Kick it!! Ted

[upnorth]

You know what is really great about this site?

Everyone here is ready, willing, and able help someone else who is willing to ask for it

Just look at this post. One person asks for some help and support for quitting smoking and everyone responds with help and suggestions. Gives one hope for the human race after all

[husker4u9899]

CORY

My wife smokes and works in the Health Care field..go figure. We reached an agreement years ago, she doesn't smoke in the house no matter the weather and she doesn't smoke in my truck. Has worked so far still married (40) years. I do let her smoke in the boat as long as she is down wind. Maybe that's why she out fishes me all the time. Hang in there you'll make it.

[minneman]

Cory, Glad to here your gonna do it! I know its been said b4, but the thing that will make it easier is to be 100% sure that this is what YOU want to do with your life. as far as the wife, Give it time with yourself first! you cant change anyone unwilling to change. but im sure once she sees how much better you feel and how all the benifits are now benifiting you, and not her she'll jump on the wagon too!

maybey ask her to smoke somewhere where your not for a while.

Upnorth, Your words are so true! this site is Great! "!!THANKS RICK!!"

Rob, Im used to comming home and have a few brews after work, I stopped doing it for the first 5 days and have kinda eased back into it slowly. its still tough at times, but I like to get together with the guys and have a few, so this is part of my training. might as well learn if its even possible to do this in the early stage.
Day 9! and Im feeling fine!

Ive saved $75.00 so far!! another great reason to give them up!

[fivebucks]

Day 3 is today. One day at a time. We can do it!

[Granny]

Be careful with the sunflower seeds. Take a look at the back of the package, they are pretty high in fat. I went with the seeds for the first month or so, but I finally kicked them too.

I think the hardest times are when your out with the guys. Almost all my friends chew and or smoke, but if feels good to say no thanks. I always crave a cig when having a couple brew, but in the morning it feels so good to know that you made it over another hurdle.

Good luck to all us quiters!
60 days and counting!

[irvingdog]

Found this. Hope it works....

[Guest]

Come on Cory!! You gotta do it! I'm usually strong until I see you, then I break down. You know that. Tracy needs to quit or reduce intake! It will be hard, but you can do it.

The duck blind at 4am was a smoking ritual. Ice fishing too. I can now hunt and fish without a craving whatsoever. Tell yourself that's the way it's going to be. Coffee helped a lot in the duck blind for me.

I was never a heavy smoker, usually a pack lasted close to a week. I still hate them. They make me cough the following day(s), it's hard to do any physical labor and the smell. Oh, the smell. Yuck.

My fishing partner and I fished tourneys and we smoked wayyy too much. He quit cold turkey and has been doing very well for almost a year. He hates cigs to death now, but he can withstand being around them...it doesn't bother him! I can't believe it. He chews a lot of gum and that beef jerky chew to kill the cravings of chewing. He gave up both, but chewing was harder he claimed. Don't go to chewing guys!!! That's worse!

Hold in there Ted. Your body will thank you!

Cory, hold in there! You can!

[This message has been edited by CD (edited 09-26-2003).]

[Pherris]

I am a former smoker I used gum and quit for a few months but never really lost the urge so I started again. The last time I quit was a year ago I used the patch and it worked very well for me. I have not had even a drag and I won’t. The first 8 months were hard every day I would think about smoking many times throughout the day. Always told myself try a bit longer and if you still want one have one, the cravings do pass. The quality of life improvement for me is what keeps me from smoking I have better sense of taste and can do many things I used to enjoy but avoided because I would get so out of breath. I feel really proud when people ask me if I smoke and I can say NO. Best advice I ever have received about cravings was:

If you have a craving you can have a cigarette and the craving will go away
Or
You can NOT have a cigarette and the craving will go away.

Good luck to everyone that is trying to quit it is one of the hardest things you will ever do but to me the best thing I have ever done for me, my family, and my friends.

[Aquaman01]

Irvingdog - I liked that thing!
Right on Ted, Granny, Fivebucks and Cory - we're spitting the hook!!
Thanks for the stories and encouragement we're getting from all of you quit-vets.

Day 4 - nearing it's close. This nasty head-cold is really helping me. Dang - my teeth hurt, though - from all that grinding.
I like that mental ammo that Pherris threw in there.
I'm doing okay and not too pi$$y.

Rob

[upnorth]

Hang in there guys!! It gets easier the further you get from your last cigarette

When a strong craving hits, just try to remember the reasons behind you wanting to quit in the 1st place. If you forget them you will probably smoke And nobody wants to keep repeating this process if they don't have to.

It really pi$$ed me off when I heard the tobacco companies put additives in the tobacco to make them even more addictive. How effin greedy can you be:MAD: They should be in jail!

[irvingdog]

Corny, but this also helped me:

Within 20 minutes of your last cigarette:
You stop polluting the air.
Blood pressure drops to normal.
Pulse rate drops to normal rate.
Temperature of hands and feet increases to normal.
8 hours:
Carbon monoxide in blood drops to normal.
Oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
24 hours:
Chance of heart attack decreases.
48 hours: 
Nerve endings adjust to the absence of nicotine. 
Ability to smell and taste things is enhanced.
72 hours:
Bronchial tubes relax, making breathing easier.
Lung capacity increases.
2 weeks to 3 months:
Circulation improves.
Walking becomes easier.
Lung function increases up to 30 percent.
1 to 9 months:
Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath all decrease.
Cilia regrow in lungs, increasing ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
Body's overall energy level increases.
1 year:
Heart disease death rate is halfway back to that of nonsmokers.
5 years:
disease death rate drops to the rate for nonsmokers.
Lung cancer death rate decreases halfway back to that of nonsmokers.
10 years:
Lung cancer death rate drops almost to the rate for nonsmokers.
Precancerous cells are replaced.
The incidence of other cancers (such as: mouth, larynx, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas) decreases.

you can sit in a movie for longer, a tree stand without moving, no going outside to freeze your a$$ off 5 minutes at a time 7 times a day, credability with your kids, etc, etc, etc......

[minneman]

Good info there!

Day 10 went good even went to the bar with my 2 brothers and had a bunch a beers. I handled it perfectly, one brother is a smoker, and I had fun timeing his smoking and giving him grief all night. I was amazed at how many people smoke! and how stinkin stinky it is in a bar. My clothes smell terrible this am. ha ha, I guess my sense of smell has gotten better.

Day 11 on tap, going fishin! Have a great smoke free day guys!!

[Fisher Dave]

I quit smoking for about 6 months a couple years back... cold turkey ... The words that inspired me to quit and made it easy at the time was the Dr.'s words... "Your lungs look similar to some of our lung cancer patients at 40." .. That was an eye opener considering I was in the emergency room for pneaumonia(sp?).

What I found the toughest thing to overcome is the habit.. not the addiction. I have been smoking so long its a habit to put a cigarret in my mouth and light it even if I dont need it.

I will be quitting one day again very soon .. this time for good. I'm looking forward to it. It's also very important to *want* to quit or it just wont happen.

[fishinphyl]

I am sooooooooo glad you guys are still at it! Now you realize why us non smokers never wear our good clothes to the sports bars and then never hang our coats in the closet until we hang them outside when we get home. They stink! My favorite is the women with the high dollar clothes, expensive perfume and they smoke. So what do they smell like - a dirty ashtray and they have way more wrinkles!

FisherDave. I had a friend that quit but like you he could not get past the cigarette between his fingers. He kept a cigarette behind his ear for this purpose then when he was he needed that finger fix he would just hold the UNLIT cigarette. All mind games you know. Mind over cigarette.

Good luck guys!

------------------
Phyl

[Mueske]

Folks,
This is a great thread and I congratulate all those successful and those even considering tobacco cessation. As one who never smoked but lived with a father who did, and as a nurse who has taught cessation classes, do be careful when substituting behaviors. Now is the time to make HEALTHY choices, such as exercising 30 mins. 3X a week, reducing caffeine, fat and alcohol intake, wearing seatbelts, etc. Also be aware of secondhand smoke's dangers and the temptation to resume smoking after stressful events or after passing certain milestones. "It's been three months since my heart attack, I've only gained five pounds, I can still outdrink my buddies, so it won't kill me to have a smoke now and then." I'm pleased to hear so many positive comments about Ted's progress and I wish all of you many more healthy years of fishing. You are all doing a great thing by supporting each other. Now the hard part: keep on being quitters.

Kevin

[minneman]

Kevin, thanks for the reminder about the healthy choises we need to keep making, In a way I wanted to see just how tuff it would be in a situation like a night out at the bar. but the real reason was that my bros wanted to celebrate my living, and the whole time out Healthy choises kept reminding me to not over doit, so I didnt.

The second hand smoke that night was the only smoke I had smelled since my last day, smoking, I realize that the choise to go doing what I did was in a bit foolish, and wouldnt recomend it, but I had support with me and just needed to know how tuff it might be.
Tommorow I have my first cardio rehab session, Im interested in what I really need to be doing to keep my heart healthy. Ill fill ya all in on what I learn.

Thanks again Kevin for reminding us all about the dangers of takeing some risks!!

[fivebucks]

On day 6. Passed the beer test over the weekend. I guess the truck does start without a cig. being lit after all. Just keep thinking that for each pack I don't smoke I get one more evening on the deer stand or one more lighted bobber night. This sure ain't fun but it'll be worth it. Let's all keep it up - I know I don't want to have to do this last 5 days over again. WE ARE DOING IT!

[bigdog]

First of all, congrats to those of you trying to quit. I wanted to pass along a short story that may offer some incentive as you break the habit.

I have never smoked but my father did. He died from Lung cancer 3 years ago. I was with him at the end. It was not easy for him, he was gasping for air and had a wild look in his eyes. We gave him morphine so he could relax and to ease the struggle. I tried to make sure the nurse's were giving him enough. He had difficulty finding enough air to speak. His last words to me were "you're doing a good job".

When you get the urge, stop and think if you want your children to have to "do that job".
Good Luck.

[irvingdog]

OUTSTANDING! If ever a thread deserved to be four pages and growing, it is one about the importance of quitting smoking. What is better is the fact that many of the posters share the same awareness of the difficulties inherent with quitting.

Want my phone number to call me when you need help? P.M. me. It would be nice to help someone feel as good as I do now that I've beaten this monster. I can't even begin to tell you how good I feel or how proud I am of myself..........

Want to feel this way to? You know what to do.

------------------
"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person" Andy Rooney

[minneman]

Hey! we're half way to 100 posts!

[Guest]

Congrats to all of you who are making the big and tough choice to quit the heaters and GOOD LUCK in this quest. I quit C/T 3 1/2 years ago and it was very hard to do but it will and can be done by each of you. Just remember it is for your health, yourself and your family. Again GOOD LUCK to you all,Scheuney

[fishinphyl]

I see where that guy is coming to Fargo that does the hypnosis clinics for smoking and weight loss. Has anybody ever gone to one of these - results?

------------------
Phyl

[minneman]

I was talked into one of those hypno deals at a bar once where they make ya do stupid stuff, but the guy couldnt get me and a couple others out so I got to go watch instead.

Day 14 today and im down to 3 patches. Yikes!

Went for cardio rehab yesterday and found out it was more an introductory level class. no stress test or anything like that, more a talk on what things I need to do to keep a healthy heart. Smoking being the #1 factor in my case, the lady thought I was a bit too positive about the quiting thing. warning me to be ready for the time when i'll break down and have one. I assured he that I am Done!! she still doubted me, Oh well, she'll see!

She did have one good bit of info on Quiting, and that is too many people try to diet or try to not gain weight when quitting and that combination could be too overwhelming for one to acomplish and ultimatly give in to one or the other. So the most important thing is to worry about the Smoking first then the weight loss. A friend of mine had quit about 1 yr ago and had this mentality, he did gain some weight but over the summer after the urges to smoke had dwindled, he started on a no carb diet and now he's thinner than when I first met him long ago.

Myself Im trying to not replace smoking with food. when at home and I need something for my hands to do I play guitar, or head out to the shop and tinker.

When driving Even though I suck, I find that singing along with the songs on the radio really help with the urge's.

I will say though, after 2 weeks now the urges are really minimal, and pass with a blink of an eye. My caugh, NON Exsistant! sense of smell getting really good, Taste...? I always thought I had a good sense of taste?? I always used to wake myself with a weezing breath in the middle of the night, thats gone! Im not tired at the end of the work day, I used to like to take a quick nap that could last for an hour at times after work, No more! I have more energy now. I used to Yawn like mad after lunch at work, that too is gone.
And my savings for the 2 week period comes to $120.00

Could someone give us a GOOD reason to smoke?? I think NOT!

Keep It Up People!! We Need You Here!!

Ted

[davev]

Minneman
Wow! This post has come a long way since I last contributed. Congrats.
Last nite at midnight, it has been 14 months since I had my last cigarette. Although I think of them on a daily basis, I think the urge is mostly gone. It is still the triggers that get me to think of it. I guess smoking for 35 years really was a lifelong habit. I'm just a smoker that no longer smokes.
I sure hope this post continues to grow and add new non-smokers. Hang in there and it sure does get easier.

[fivebucks]

Still on board on day 8. I've gone this long before quite a few times but it feels different this time, now I feel like an ex-smoker. Let's all keep it up!

[upnorth]

Congrats to those of you that are quitting smoking. Stating that you have made it to day 8 or whatever day you are on may not mean much to someone who never smoked, but to someone like me that also kicked that habit it means something. Stay with it, it will get to a point where not smoking seems normal

[This message has been edited by upnorth (edited 10-01-2003).]

[minneman]

How we all doing so far??

Day 16 here, Im on my last patch and plan to get along w/out them from here on out. not ruling out a weaker batch though. we'll see how it goes..?

Im still on my original bag of sugarless candy, and find im not so prone to grab a pc like I use to. things are going good for me!

How bout YOU??

[Jim W]

Lost trackof the "days" with out, but it is around 2 months now for me.

20 years of smoking. TO be honest I want to smoke as I write this.
However, when I quit, I told myself I didn't want to be controlled by anything else in my life and smoking was the last thing that controlled me and my behavior.

Quitting is a way to gain complete control of my life which is a wonderful feeling in itself.

I caution others in taking a drug that alters
brain function. You need to want to quit, plain and simple. Don't waste your time and cause undue stress for others if your not serious about it!

I have been very difficult to get along with since I quit. That worries me more than anything else. My wife Susie probably wished I still smoked!lol

Good luck all.

By the way...more money for fishing, more energy to walk the stream, carry the auger and lift my children high in the sky!!!!!

Keep the rods bendin'!!!

Jim W

[fivebucks]

I think it's day 10 for both me and my wife. Both cold turkey. We've had a few little spats over absolutely nothing (cig. withdrawal) but we are both going strong and are going to lick this dragon. I have a bag of mini carrots at home that help out and seeds in the truck at times. We found this 50 day chart that tells different things that are going on with quiting put out by Health Partners. For example: Day 4."Your blood pressure, heart rate and the temperature in your hands and feet have normalized. That's great! Keep going!"
This chart is great. I can make photo copies for anyone that wants one but also try calling Health Partners and ask for "The Sure-fire Fifty-Day Way to Stop Smoking!"

GOOOOOOD Luck and hang in there everyone.

[irvingdog]

Fivebucks
I posted that on page 3 of this thread. Do some more charting of the advantages of quitting.
I'm not a numbers guy but......(breaks out mental pencil and eraser)
Pack a day at 3.50.......times 365......equals...........
Good God! almost 1300 bucks a year!!!!!!
You could have that new A.T.V. paid off in 4-6 years. Why not buy yourself a new Super Black Eagle? You could have it paid off by the start of next years waterfowl season.

Face it man. One day you are definitely going to stop smoking. It's a question of weather you get to throw away the ashtrays, or get poured into one.........